"It was a great team win," Charlotte coach Alan
Major said. "I mean TEAM in capital letters. Everyone stepped up and
contributed on a day when we honored former 49ers greats. I could not be
prouder or our team."

The 49ers were led by E. Victor Nickerson who
finished with 12 points just one point shy of his career-high. Nickerson, who
got his first start in Atlantic 10 play, was 5-for-11 from the field. He also
finished with five rebounds.

Charlotte performance on Saturday included a
well-balanced offense in which nine different players scored points. The 49ers'
defense was just as impressive with 11 steals, 19 forced turnovers, and a 37-32
advantage on the glass.

The Niner bench outscored the Minutemen 32-9.

Fans weren't disappointed as both teams put on a
thrilling performance especially in the final minutes of the game. The Niners
led 63-60 at the 2:40 mark but the Minuteman didn't go
away easily as Terrell Vinson, who scored 23 points, hit a 3-pointer to tie the
game 63-63 with 2:13 left. Nickerson used two free throws to push Charlotte to
a 65-63 lead at the 1:16 mark. Clayton hit one of his two free throws with 33
seconds remaining and Massachusetts' Chaz Williams, who scored 16 points, drove
to the basket with 18 seconds left for a layup, slicing the 49ers lead to
66-65.

The 49ers were not able to convert on two free
throws. Massachusetts had the last possession of the game but Charlotte's Henry
stole the ball from Williams with three seconds left in the game sealing the
49ers victory.

After trailing the Minutemen for most of the first half,
the Niners used a late run to take the 34-31 lead at halftime. The half
featured seven ties but the 49ers took the first half lead for good with 1:54
left following a pair of free throws from Williams to taking a 30-28 lead, its
first lead since the 11:45 mark. A Minuteman turnover led to Nickerson scoring
two points off a fastbreak but UMass responded with a three-pointer to slice
Charlotte's lead to 32-31. Nickerson closed out the half with a mid-range
jumper with 22 seconds left. In the first half, Charlotte's bench outscored
UMass 21-0 and took an 18-12 advantage of points in the paint.

Charlotte began the second half on a 6-2 run and
took a 40-33 lead after a Nickerson jumper with 16:54 left. Clayton lifted the
Niners to their largest lead of the game, 43-35 after converting a layup into a
three-point play at the 15:21 mark. UMass evened the score for the eighth time,
44-44, with a 3-pointer by Chaz Williams at the 12 minute mark. Benkovic quickly
answered with his second three-pointer of the game from the corner giving the 49ers
a 47-44 lead with 11:40 remaining. Another Benkovic three pushed the 49ers lead
to 50-44 with 10:48 on the clock.

Before the game, former Charlotte basketball players
participated in the annual Alumni Homecoming Game. At halftime the former
players were honored and recognized in a ceremony at half court.

Charlotte travels to Temple on Wednesday, Feb. 6 for
an A-10 contest at 7 p.m.

Welcome to the Charlotte 49ers Athletic Foundation!

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